Google Ads Briefing: The Foundation for a Successful Campaign

A well-prepared Google Ads Briefing is much more than a formal requirement. It serves as the foundation for a focused and transparent collaboration with a Google Ads agency. It helps define campaign goals, estimate the expected effort, assess potential realistically, and align expectations on both sides.

In this article, you will learn what content a strong Google Ads Briefing should include, why it is so important, and how it helps set up your campaign in a structured and efficient way – whether you are already working with Google Ads or just starting out.

Why a Google Ads Briefing Is Essential

A well-thought-out briefing ensures that your agency understands your goals, target audience, and framework conditions from the very beginning. At the same time, it helps avoid unnecessary back-and-forth and allows for realistic planning. The result is a professional foundation for strategy, execution, and reporting.

A complete Google Ads Briefing will…

• provide clarity on goals, budget, and campaign structure
• allow the agency to estimate workload and avoid unexpected costs
• prevent misunderstandings and unnecessary feedback loops
• form the basis for a well-founded proposal
• support efficient and goal-oriented campaign management

What a Comprehensive Google Ads Briefing Should Include

Below is a structured overview of all key points that should be included in a Google Ads Briefing. This structure has proven effective in practice – whether you are starting from scratch or optimizing existing campaigns.

Basic Company Information

• Company name
• Short company description
• Website URL
• Main competitors (list at least 2–3)

Campaign Objectives

• What is the main goal of the campaign? (e.g. lead generation, e-commerce sales, bookings, website traffic)
• Are there concrete performance targets? (e.g. max. €200 per conversion, ROAS 500%, 20 leads per month)

Target Audience & Targeting

• Who is the target audience? (e.g. B2B decision-makers, young families, DIY enthusiasts in specific regions)
• Which segments should be excluded? (e.g. existing customers, private individuals, under 25s)
• Geographic targeting (e.g. local, nationwide, EU-wide, 20km around headquarters)
• Languages for the campaign (e.g. English, German, French – important for international setups)

Products & Offers

• Which products or services should be advertised?
• Which ones are a priority? (important in case of limited budget)
• Are there existing landing pages? (Please include URLs if available)

Budget & Timeline

• Is there a defined ad budget? (e.g. €3,000 per month, seasonal variations)
• Planned campaign start (Typically 2–3 weeks after final approval; more time may be required for large-scale campaigns)
• Is there a fixed campaign duration? (e.g. 3-month pilot, seasonal, ongoing)

Previous Google Ads Experience

• How has Google Ads been used so far? (e.g. in-house management, via agency, no previous experience)
• Are there performance metrics from previous campaigns? (e.g. CPA, CTR, conversion rate, ROAS)
• Were there any specific challenges? (e.g. high bounce rate, low lead quality, disapproved ads)
• Is a Google Ads account already set up? (If so, is admin access available?)

Tracking & Conversion Measurement

• Which tracking tools are in use? (e.g. Google Analytics, Matomo, Google Tag Manager)
  Is admin access to these tools available?
• Which conversions are currently being tracked? (e.g. forms, purchases, phone calls)

Website & Technical Setup

• Which CMS or shop system is used? (e.g. WordPress with Elementor, WooCommerce, Shopify, custom-built)
• Is there an admin login for the website?
• Is there an internal or external tech contact? (developer, support agency, etc.)

Reporting & Collaboration

• How often should reports be delivered? (e.g. monthly, quarterly)
• Are additional reports required? (e.g. annual reports, internal presentations)
• Preferred reporting format? (e.g. email summaries, dashboard access, virtual meetings)
• What is the approval process?
  (By default, campaign strategy and ad copy are reviewed during setup. Ongoing optimizations are made autonomously. Strategic changes will be coordinated with the client.)
• Expected communication intensity?
  (Some clients prefer frequent check-ins and detailed reviews, others are fine with monthly updates and hands-off execution.)

Additional Information

• Which other digital advertising channels are currently used? (e.g. Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, email marketing)
• What results have been achieved there? (e.g. €120 per conversion via Meta for 18–35 age group)
• Are there seasonal peaks or sales cycles? (e.g. 80% of annual revenue between March and July)
• Is there a broader marketing strategy in place? (e.g. brand guidelines, overarching campaigns)
• Which services are expected from the agency?
  (e.g. strategic product positioning, campaign setup, ongoing management, landing page creation, tracking setup, competitor analysis, SEO)

Conclusion: A Clear Briefing Saves Time, Budget and Effort

A thorough Google Ads Briefing lays the foundation for campaign success. It helps define expectations, enables the agency to assess potential realistically and paves the way for strategic, goal-oriented execution. In short, the better the briefing, the better the results.

If you are considering working with our Google Ads agency based in Vienna, we are happy to assist you in preparing a structured briefing – whether you already have experience with Google Ads or are just getting started.